Artificial Intelligence now plays a major impact on industries. These include call centers. Call Center AI technologies are being utilized to improve experience not only among managers and agents but also customers.
How Does AI Help in Call Centers?
Here are specific ways call center experience can be improved using AI:
- Customer Convenience – AI can reduce wait times for customers or even extend operational hours to accommodate more customers when live agents are not available. Callers have options like working via an automated system or choosing the option to deal with a human agent later.
- Predict Customer Behavior – AI technology can be programmed to draw information from the data that is already available for assessment to maximize customer experience. In cases where the available data suggests that a customer’s call is one that needs to be worked on right away, AI can “decide” that it’s one of those times that a live agent is needed – to talk and handle a customer’s issue.
- Improve Business Processes – AI technology in call centers is not just about handling customer issues or improving their experience in the actual call.It is also about, in the long run, improving the strategies of running the business based on customer feedback. This is something that you can’t easily get from online surveys and face-to-face interviews.
- Call Routing – Cutting short the long “prompt’ line before one can speak to a live agent is a necessary element for customer call experience. AI can get important information fast. This way, the call can be passed quickly to the best person to handle that call.
Choose the Right AI Provider-Partner
AI has been in use in call centers for quite a time now. The latest discussions focus on getting the right technology as the best approach to AI use in such a setting. However, while looking for the right approach to technology use is important to an extent, the real key to AI success is having the right PARTNER. Call centers must get the best AI automation program or system applicable to their particular needs.
Consider the following when looking for a service:
- Experienced with AI – You don’t just get anybody who says they have AI knowledge. You need someone you know has been around for quite a while and knows the ins and outs of the most recent technology and how it is best applied in your setting. Besides, you expect your team to learn from them as they go about doing their business with you. Get someone who can teach the basics to your in-house IT team, so your team can learn the ropes from them. This way, you will not have to spend more money for future needs.So, ask this question: Do they have the expertise you need and have a proven track record in implementing effective AI solutions for your call center?
- Customized solution – Your AI partner should have the ability to customize the service according to the needs of your organization. That will require the willingness to learn about you, which in turn, requires them to invest time and money in looking into how your business deals with different workflow systems. These include web chat, chat requests, faxes, inbound calls, emails, etc.There are more things to consider beyond the workflows:
- Assess current state including customer journey mapping.
- Identify business problems.
- Create customized solutions to overcome your organization’s unique challenges.
CONCLUSION
Do understand that improving customer experience is a process, and in your business, understanding this process is very important. Since this is very important, you are not looking for someone that promises the fastest roll-out. You ought to be searching for an organization who can guide you in coming up with a modern portfolio of contact center solutions through the use of AI. For more information about what AI is best for your business, check out the webinar series offered by PACE. Not a PACE member? Schedule a call with us today to learn more about the in depth research on multiple industry verticals.
CH Consulting Group provides unparalleled expertise in the Contact Center and Customer Experience (CX) verticals. We have a nationwide team of industry veterans that can assist you to achieve exponential growth, manage change, and generate profit. For a comprehensive Contact Center and CX assessment and strategic plan customized to your AI needs, connect with us here today.
